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Planning is a critical component in crisis management. A comprehensive
planning process includes not only creating a plan, but training, rehearsing,
coordinating with other agencies, and periodically evaluating and updating
the plan. The EAP provides a framework for contingency planning and defines
the communication network to be used in an emergency. The college or university/study
abroad programs should have an EAP to provide for the safety and orderly
withdrawal of staff and students. The EAP is "living document"
that will require regular revision as staff and students come and go, or
as the general conditions within the country change. The following sections
provide guidelines for the process of Emergency Action Planning.

2.1 DEVELOPING AN EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

The Peace Corps EAP is usually a single document that contains 1) an
introduction, 2) the basic plan itself, 3) modular extensions or "pull-out"
sheets, and 4) any supporting documents or reference materials. There are
four basic steps to creating a plan. These are:

Establishing a planning team

Analyzing the hazards in country and the capacity to respond

Developing the plan itself

Operationalizing the plan

Each of these steps is outlined below.

2.1.1 Establishing a Planning Team

While the Program Administrator(s) has/have the ultimate responsibility
for developing, updating and implementing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP),
the plan is part of a larger system that includes the college or university,
the study abroad program office abroad and in the U.S., the US Embassy (the
Regional Security Officer or RSO), and the larger community. It is therefore
most effective to coordinate emergency planning efforts with the Embassy
and RSO as key team members.

The Emergency Action Planning team should include the users of the plan
and representatives from each group or organization that would have a critical
role in its implementation. Key members should include the following:

Any document produced should be given broad staff and student review.
This will help ensure that all factors are taken into account, and enable
staff and students to consider their own contingencies.

The primary task of each member of the planning team is to define his/her
respective role and responsibilities in carrying out the EAP, including
coordination with U.S. Embassy, college or university /study abroad program
in the U.S. or abroad, host country government and other agencies and resources.
The planning team will also need to define clear lines of authority and
their responsibilities to each other in implementing a coordinated effort.

To the extent possible, planning team members could also be members of
the task force that responds to the crisis. They will already be familiar
with the EAP and will have had experience working as an effective team.

2.1.2 Analyzing the Hazards and Capabilities

The next step toward creating an EAP involves gathering information about
probable emergencies and environmental hazards, and assessing the current
capabilities of the system to respond. The following tasks will help you
decide what information should be included in the EAP.

1. Review the country's history of recent experiences and identify the
potential hazards and emergencies, and where appropriate, when they are
likely to occur, in the following areas:

Following is a sample format outline to guide you through the process
of drafting your Emergency Action Plan.

2.2 EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN OUTLINE

2.2.1 INTRODUCTION

The EAP is usually a single document that contains an introduction, the
basic plan itself, modular extensions about specific crises, and any necessary
supporting documents. The introduction should:

State the purpose of the Emergency Action Plan

Identify the users of the EAP

Designate where the EAP is kept

Identify to whom the EAP had been distributed

Briefly describe the development of the EAP and acknowledge its contributors

Instruct on the use of the EAP

The EAP should be formatted in such a way that footers are included that
indicate the most current review date. Pagination allows for accuracy if
the plan is being discussed with administrator(s) or others and/or portions
need to be referenced or faxed. Pages should correspond with the table of
contents.

To guide you through the process of developing in this section, the Emergency
Action Plan Checklist is included. The checklist is also used by the program
administrator(s) to review the EAPs as they are revised and submitted each
year.

2.2.2 Core Content

The following are only suggestions for the basic content of an Emergency
Action Plan. Each institution within each country/ region, etc. must choose
the most relevant information to present and the best way to present it.

a. Types of Emergencies Covered. The EAP can cover a range of
emergency situations including medical emergencies and evacuation, family
crises, accidents and injuries, physical and sexual assaults, natural disasters,
environmental hazards, civil unrest and political uprisings, or country
evacuations. These emergencies can affect single individuals or the entire
group.

b. Roles and Responsibilities. It is important to define the chain
of command and decision making process in an emergency. This includes the
role of the on-site administrator, U.S. college or university/study abroad
program administrator(s), the US Embassy and others in responding to a crisis.
The functions and responsibilities of each staff member should be clearly
defined. It is most useful to refer to positions rather than individuals
in defining roles and responsibilities.

A Crisis Task Force (often composed of, but not limited to, the
members of the EAP planning team) should be established at this point. The
task force can help process information, develop contingency plans and provide:

Liaison with the U.S. Embassy

Liaison with the U.S. college or university/ study abroad program administrator(s)
at the U.S. home campus

Communication with students

Liaison with host country government, police, military, etc.

Information gathering and processing (including media relations)

Logistics coordination (transportation, supplies, housing, etc.)

Financial and administrative advice

Medical Advice

Communication with parents, family, etc.

Finally, the students need to know what is expected of them as individuals
and members of a group.

c. Communication. Effective communication is the key to any crisis
management system. Experience indicates that effective communication must
operate on several levels: on-site program administrator, host country nationals,
country/regional, and U.S. -side institutional administrators. Creating
and developing these networks prior to an emergency reduces the chances
of breakdown and misunderstanding at the moment of crisis. Students can
play a major role in developing a working communications system by:

Identifying the resources in their respective communities

Developing liaison with other agencies, university study abroad programs
and host country nationals

Keeping the office informed of their whereabouts

Following procedures stipulated in the EAP

Staying in touch with other students and using the buddy system

Explore all possible methods of communication, using local and national
resources. It is not unusual for telephones to malfunction during a number
of crisis scenarios.

Radio stations and government radio networks can be very helpful. Whatever
information is provided in the EAP should be complete, specific (who, what,
how) and up-to-date.

An agreed upon time and schedule for telephone or other contact should
also be established and maintained. The frequency of contact will depend
on the acuity of the situation and developing circumstances. It is not only
important to determine who, where and how communications should take place
but what kind of information is needed and the relative urgency of the message.
Checking to see if the message was accurate is also very important, especially
under conditions of stress. Having the person repeat or write down the message assures better accuracy and reliability.

Sending messages via a third party to the U.S. college or university/study
abroad program in crisis situations is also important. When sending an emergency
message through a third party, keep the following in mind:

PLEASE REMEMBER

In any emergency contact where an operator or message taker is involved,
please be prepared to provide the following information:

Your name

Where you are

Nature of the emergency

Tel. Number and where administrator(s) may contact you

Until when/for how long

When you will call back if you have not been called

Be sure to stress that this is an urgent or emergency situation!

The responsibility of communicating with the families of the students
can rest with various administrators. As soon as the evacuation is confirmed,
the families of all students should be contacted. It is important to maintain
regular contact with students' families throughout the crisis, apprising
them of developments as they occur and providing appropriate support.

d. Travel and Transportation. Information on travel methods and
routes must also be as specific as possible (overland, air, sea, private,
commercial, and/or military). Maps demarcating pick-up points, potential
landing sites for aircraft and/or helicopter, and estimated travel times
under normal circumstances should also be included. Guidance about border
crossing should also be provided, crossing and making contact with appropriate
authorities in third country. Most importantly, alternative methods of travel
and routes must be presented and prioritized in the event that the usual
routes are no longer safe or feasible. Student and staff sites should be
clearly located on the maps.

f. Administration. The EAP should specify what administrative
responsibilities require attention in the event of a crisis. To fulfill
these responsibilities it is recommended to have response systems in place
before the crisis occurs. The Administrator should:

Keep student rosters up-to-date

Prepare student withdrawal documents

Procure lodging and food supply for assembly location

Assure adequate fuel supply and road worthiness of vehicle

Coordinate evacuation transport with Emergency Action Committee

Collect inventory of student personal effects left in country (Attachment
I)

Prepare travel plans

Provide travel advances to students, staff

g. Contingencies. Even the best laid plans cannot factor in all
possible contingencies. Yet probable scenarios that impact on communications
(no telephone lines), transportation (public transport strike), or coordination
(capital city destabilized) should be addressed.

2.2.3 Planning for and Managing Evacuations

Most Peace Corps programs use a three stage model to identify alert status
based on the standard established by the US Embassy. Stages should be clearly
defined, along with the criteria for progression to the next stage in coordination
with appropriate college or university/ study abroad administrator(s) and
the Embassy. Specific action plans should be developed for each stage so
that students know what to do and what to expect at each step.

These could be prepared as separate stages or "pull-outs" to
cover different types of emergencies or disasters such as:

Medical emergencies (Attachment II)

Family emergencies

Accident and injuries

Student death

Physical or sexual assault

Political/civil unrest

Natural disasters (hurricane, floods, earthquakes, fires)

"Pull-outs" have the advantage of being readily accessible
and containing situation-specific information and action plans. Countries
that are at high risk for certain types of natural disasters (hurricanes,
earthquakes, nuclear accidents) should consult the appropriate local department
for emergency preparedness and obtain technical assistance in preparing
for and responding to these hazards.

2.2.5 Checklists

Checklists are invaluable in planning and implementing an Emergency Action
Plan. They assure completeness and greatly increase efficiency. The following
checklists were found to be essential or very helpful by the Peace Corps:

Rosters of all students and their addresses

List of passport numbers, expiration dates and location of passport
for each student

Names of students with special medical needs

Complete information on assembly points, who should go where and when

Maps and locators for each student (Attachment IV)

Contacts where each student is housed and for each excursion

Maps, travel routes and modes of transportation from each site to assembly
points and capital or evacuation point

In order to avoid the "paper plan syndrome" the Emergency Action
Plan must be put to use through training and periodic testing. Everyone
will require some sort of training on the Emergency Action Plan, but one
person or committee should be given the responsibility for planning, implementing
and evaluating the training program.

The purpose of the training is to:

Maintain an appropriate level of safety/security awareness

Familiarize the staff and students with the plan

Make sure everyone understand their part in the plan (roles and responsibilities)

Become familiar with the mechanics, equipment and procedures necessary
to implement the plan (e.g., use of radios, first aid equipment and alarm
systems, etc.)

Convert an abstract plan into concrete actions

Provide an opportunity for questions and concerns

At the end of training, trainees should know:

Whom to contact

How to make contact

What to do

Where to go

What is expected of them

Staff training about crisis management should occur at all levels, with
personnel in the U.S. and abroad. Once in country or on-site, staff needs
to develop specific knowledge and familiarity with people, equipment, geography
and procedures in order to implement the plan.

Student orientation most often is initiated in the pre-departure orientation
program in the U.S. and reviewed at the on-site orientation abroad. However,
each program needs to determine who receives the training, who does the
training, when and where it should occur, and how to best get the information
across.

There are a few basic concepts that might prove helpful in designing
effective training (training officers will be extremely helpful here:

Review the EAP after critical incidents when interest and motivation
are high (timing is crucial)

Use senior staff as trainers (the best way to learn something is to
teach it)

2.3.2 Testing and Rehearsal

Testing and rehearsal serve a training purpose as well as a check on
the appropriateness and efficacy of the EAP. It can range form a simple
review of procedures to a full scale exercise. While conducting a full scale
exercise may often prove impractical, many countries have implemented a
system of testing certain components of the EAP such as:

Student locator system

Communication systems and contingency plans

Medical alerts

Resource inventory and testing

Safety and security tests

Simulations and on-site drills

Information gathering and processing

Regardless of how the testing is done, the important thing is to DO IT!
The results should be documented and used to revise, update or reinforce
the existing EAP.

3. DURING THE CRISIS: ACTION

When a crisis occurs, adrenaline begins to pump and energy levels
mount. It is important to channel this energy into constructive course so
as to avoid conflict and confusion. Delegating functions and tasks into
which staff members and students can channel energy include:

Gate keeping--ensuring orderly access to crisis management team

Material support--ensuring food, water, stationery, etc. are on hand

Emotional support--providing relief and support to crisis workers as
stress increases

Recording--maintaining a daily log and updates as the crisis develops

The optimum leadership style will be determined by the personal characteristics
of the team leader and what the crisis dictates. Successful crisis team
leaders have been those who have been open, supportive, flexible and still
decisive and directive when the moment warrants. The ability to manage varying
levels of conflict-among staff and students, with the media, and demands
from U.S. college or university/study abroad program--will be essential.